An intestinal illness that can cause nausea and watery, sometimes explosive diarrhea that’s been reported in several states has reached Virginia and Maryland.
The illness, cyclosporiasis, is caused by cyclospora, a food- and waterborne parasite.
Virginia had 10 cases as of the . The Maryland case was diagnosed the same day at a MedStar urgent care facility, said Dr. Miriam Fischer, a senior attending physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at MedStar Health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, , said it received 145 reports of cyclosporiasis in 17 states from May 1, when outbreak season began, through June 16.
Since then, nearly 1,000 cases have been reported in Michigan, and across the border in northwest Ohio there have been more than 400 reported cases.
There may be far more cases than those reported to state health agencies and the CDC, Fischer said, because typically a stool sample is required to confirm the illness, and in most cases the illness is mild.
“People may not even have any symptoms at all,” she said.
For those who do have symptoms, the parasite is treated with antibiotics.
“If somebody is having severe diarrhea, is concerned about these symptoms, they should contact their healthcare professionals,” Fischer said. “This isn’t something that a lot of these things are viral and self-limiting and don’t need treatment. This one actually does.”
Preventive measures
The cyclospora parasite is not typically spread from person to person, Fischer said, “so you should not be able to get it from your friend or your neighbor or that guy on the bus.”
“The parasite is usually spread from infected produce or infected water,” and the key to prevention, both at the producer and consumer level, is practicing safe food handling.
“The biggest thing we need to do is we need to prevent the contamination early in the food supply chain, and that will stop this outbreak,” Fischer said.
The CDC has not pinpointed a single source for the current outbreak.
“Symptoms usually begin about a week after exposure, but they can range from two days to two weeks, which is part of what makes the challenge in identifying the source,” Fischer said.
The consumers at the end of the supply chain can add a layer of protection by thoroughly washing fruits and vegetables.
“I do want to caution that in this case the CDC and FDA indicate that washing may not fully remove this parasite, but it helps, and it makes a difference, and it’s critical. And when we talk about foodborne illnesses, we know it makes a huge difference across the spectrum,” Fischer said.
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